Wireless communications in a computer network present many security difficulties. Communications between a wireless Access Point (AP) and wireless client devices are vulnerable to eavesdropping and attacks by malicious users. To provide security against these threats, a wireless Access Point typically encrypts the wireless communications. Accordingly, when sending broadcast and multicast messages, a wireless Access Point uses a key that is shared with all wireless clients. When sending and receiving individual client communications, a wireless Access Point uses client-specific private keys.
However, using encryption to secure a wireless network is not without vulnerabilities. Protocols that define how a wireless access point and clients interact are continuously evolving and are often flawed. Many networks use specialized devices to monitor for security attacks on wired and wireless connections but these devices are limited to detecting communications sent through the network. Wireless communications from an attacker sent directly to a client device can avoid detection by these devices and compromise the client device. In this way, an entire network security scheme can be compromised.